220:150 Meeting the Needs of Diverse LearnersAlignment with INTASC Professional Standards

Principle #1: CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

--The candidate
understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the
discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make
these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.

Think deeply and critically about how classroom instruction and
pedagogy supports or fails to support classroom diversity.

Identify specific strategies and instructional methods to meet the
needs of all learners and apply to his or her subject or content area.

Principle #2: LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

--The candidate
understands how children learn and develop, and can provide learning
opportunities that support their intellectual, social and personal development.

Understand how classroom instruction supports or fails to
support classroom diversity.

Identify pedagogy that supports and enhances all students
learning.

Principle #3: DIVERSE LEARNERS

--The candidate
understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates
instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.

Understand the
social, political, and historical foundations informing the education of
students with diverse needs.

Explore how
difference may be defined, understood, and enacted within various
contexts.

Consider how the
concept of difference informs one’s schooling experiences.

Respect, appreciate,
and value diversity in the classroom.

Principle #4: INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

--The candidate
understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage
students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance
skills.

--The candidate
uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create
a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active
engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

Identify strategies for developing community within the
classroom.

Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of
various management strategies to support diverse learners (behaviorism,
constructivism etc.)

Principle #9: REFLECTION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT--The candidate
is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her
choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in
the learning community) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow
professionally.

Examine and critically reflect upon personal experiences
relating to diversity.

Ask meaningful questions to guide personal learning in the area
of diversity and relate those questions to teaching in a classroom.

Learn by listening to and observing others.

Principle #10: SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS

--The candidate
fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the
larger community to support students' learning and well-being.

Explores how to develop positive
relationships with families and communities.

Principle #11: USE OF TECHNOLOGY

--The candidate integrates the computer
and other high and low technology into classroom teaching activities,
assessment and/or documentation.

Understand how technology can enhance instruction to meet the
needs of diverse learners.

Become familiar with assistive technology to
support students’ needs, including low and high tech devices and augmentative
communication devices.